Effect of miR-125b on dermal papilla cells of goat secondary hair follicle

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs that regulate various biological processes. miR-125b is a miRNA that has been reported to be critical for hair follicle (HF) morphogenesis and development. We identified that the expression of miR-125b varies during an individual hair cycle (anagen, catagen, and telogen) in the skin of cashmere goats. We constructed a gain model (by overexpressing miR-125b) and a loss model (by inhibiting endogenous miR-125b) based on dermal papilla cells (DPCs) to further investigate the role of miR-125b in HF cycle. In addition, we used a dual-luciferase system to highlight the predicated target genes of miR-125b. Results: We found that miR-125b affects the expression of FGF5, IGF-1, SHH, TNF-\u3b1, MSX2, LEF-1, FGF7, NOGGIN, BMP2, BMP4, TGF-\u3b21, and \u3b2-catenin. The dual-luciferase assay further validated a direct interaction between miR-125b and FGF5 and TNF-\u3b1. Conclusion: miR-125b affects the expression levels of genes related to hair cycle and may also play a critical role in regulating the periodic development of HF